Short communication: Occurrence of squamous cell carcinoma in a platy fish (Xiphophorus maculatus): A case report

According to prior reports, similar to mammals, fish are frequently affected by neoplastic proliferations. These neoplasms are classified according to the mammalian tumor classification System (Rahmati-Holasoo et al., 2010). Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is one of the most common forms of skin neoplasm in which cells in the epithelial layer of the skin develop into a malignant tumor. SCC has been reported in both fresh and marine water fish (Mawdesley-Thomas and Bucke, 1967). Squamous cell carcinoma has been reported in a number of species, for example, Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L. (Roberts, 1972); oscar, Astronotus ocellatus (Rahmati-Holasoo et al., 2010); rudd, Scardinius erythrophthalmus (Hanjavanit and Mulcahy, 2004); gudgeon, Gobio gobio (Mawdesley-Thomas and Bucke, 1967); gulf menhaden, Brevoortia patronus Goode (Fournie et al., 1987); and the hybrid sunfish (Fitzgerald et al., 1991). In spite of the fact that reports have been previously published on SCC in various species of fish, to the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first report on SCC in platy fish (Xiphophorus maculatus) in the world

The Role of the Primary Sensory Cortices in Early Language Processing.

The results of this magnetoencephalography study challenge two long-standing assumptions regarding the brain mechanisms of language processing: First, that linguistic processing proper follows sensory feature processing effected by bilateral activation of the primary sensory cortices that lasts about 100 msec from stimulus onset. Second, that subsequent linguistic processing is effected by left hemisphere networks outside the primary sensory areas, including Broca's and Wernicke's association cortices. Here we present evidence that linguistic analysis begins almost synchronously with sensory, prelinguistic verbal input analysis and that the primary cortices are also engaged in these linguistic analyses and become, consequently, part of the left hemisphere language network during language tasks. These findings call for extensive revision of our conception of linguistic processing in the brain

A conceptual framework for ranking the multiple intelligences of people with epilepsy

Intelligence of a person can be enhanced if the person focuses and practices regularly. ATIE©, a psychometric test, was developed based on the Multiple Intelligence (MI) theory of Howard Gardner to measure eight types of intelligence skills namely musical, kinesthetic, math-logic, spatial, verbal, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalist. The inverse model of ATIE , Fuzzy Inverse ATIE (FIA) was developed to get the best intelligence parameters that would be garnered to maximize the employment probability of people with epilepsy (PWE). In this paper, we present a conceptual framework of a model to rank the suggested intelligences obtained from FIA which are to be improved. This information is essential in order to improve the chances of PWE to be employed

Do Patient-Reported Outcomes Have a Role in the Management of Patients with Cystic Fibrosis?

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a rapidly growing area of expertise and the most commonly used patient-reported outcome (PRO). The impact of cystic fibrosis (CF) on HRQoL is liable to be great, making CF patients ideal candidates for the application of HRQoL instruments. The aims of this study were to assess the affect of CF on HRQoL, to ascertain the reliability and validity of the United Kingdom Sickness Impact Profile (UKSIP) and the Cystic Fibrosis Quality of Life Questionnaire (CFQoL) in the adult CF population, and to examine their role in the management of patients. Methods: Seventy participants were recruited from the All Wales Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre at Llandough Hospital, UK. There were two stages to the study: self-report of the UKSIP and CFQoL; and completion of the same two questionnaires 7–10 days later. Results: The areas of HRQoL most impaired by CF were employment and concerns regarding the future. The UKSIP and CFQoL showed high internal consistency (rα = 0.89–0.93) and test–retest reliability (rs = 0.57–0.94, p < 0.005) in the CF population. Validity was variable with the UKSIP showing discrimination across socio-demographic factors, whilst the CFQoL showed increased sensitivity to clinical variables. Many parameters influenced patient-reported HRQoL, with the greatest correlations seen with the Borg score (p < 0.005). The use of a HRQoL instrument in CF annual reviews is recommended to provide holistic patient care. The results of this study underpin the value of HRQoL as a patient-reported outcome measure in the management of adult CF

Compensatory growth assessment by plasma IGF-I hormone measurement and growth performance in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

This study aimed to show the difference in compensatory growth (CG) with different starvation and feeding periods replications, depending on the IGF-I hormone level in the blood. There were 4 treatments in 3 replications. Other indexes like food coefficient ratio (FCR), specific growth rate (SGR) and daily food intake were also examined during the experiment. Fish were fed twice a day ad libitum as follows during the 65 days. Treatment A (TA): control treatment, continues feeding. Treatment B (TB): 4 weeks of starvation and 5 weeks of re-feeding. Treatment C (TC): 3 weeks of starvation and 5 weeks of re-feeding. Treatment D (TD): 2 weeks of starvation and 5 weeks of re-feeding. Each tank contained 23fishes in each unit with an initial mean weight (SD) of 47.19 &#177; 0.42 (g). Blood was sampled in IGF-I hormone concentration at the beginning of the experiment, at the end of the starvation period and every 12 days in re-feeding periods. There was no significant difference between the treatments in FCR (P &gt; 0.05). TB and TC had significant difference (P &lt; 0.01) in comparison with other treatments in SGR, but no significant difference was observed among them (P &gt; 0.05). IGF-I concentrations came down in comparison with control treatment at the end of the starvation period (Day 29) (P &lt; 0.001), but no significant difference was observed among the treatments at the end of the re-feeding period (P &gt; 0.05). According to the results, TB and TC showed more indexes of CG in comparison with TA and TD. Still IGF-I cannot show the quality of CG alone and other growth relating physiological elements in different feeding diets and regimes will be evaluated in future studies

Glial cells are functionally impaired in juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis and detrimental to neurons.

The neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs or Batten disease) are a group of inherited, fatal neurodegenerative disorders of childhood. In these disorders, glial (microglial and astrocyte) activation typically occurs early in disease progression and predicts where neuron loss subsequently occurs. We have found that in the most common juvenile form of NCL (CLN3 disease or JNCL) this glial response is less pronounced in both mouse models and human autopsy material, with the morphological transformation of both astrocytes and microglia severely attenuated or delayed. To investigate their properties, we isolated glia and neurons from Cln3-deficient mice and studied their basic biology in culture. Upon stimulation, both Cln3-deficient astrocytes and microglia also showed an attenuated ability to transform morphologically, and an altered protein secretion profile. These defects were more pronounced in astrocytes, including the reduced secretion of a range of neuroprotective factors, mitogens, chemokines and cytokines, in addition to impaired calcium signalling and glutamate clearance. Cln3-deficient neurons also displayed an abnormal organization of their neurites. Most importantly, using a co-culture system, Cln3-deficient astrocytes and microglia had a negative impact on the survival and morphology of both Cln3-deficient and wildtype neurons, but these effects were largely reversed by growing mutant neurons with healthy glia. These data provide evidence that CLN3 disease astrocytes are functionally compromised. Together with microglia, they may play an active role in neuron loss in this disorder and can be considered as potential targets for therapeutic interventions